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WHAT IS EASTER TO YOU?

A tradition of this holiday is the Lily. You can recognize its fragrance when you enter a room that it is in. I did some research and it turns out that the Lily dates back to biblical times. In each instance of its appearance, there is an impending birth of something or someone.

When I was growing up my mother always had at least one Lily at Easter. She would say the same thing every year when she got it. “This year I am going to plant it outside so it will come back next spring.” Then she would place the plant in the middle of our dining room table to become the centerpiece for our holiday meal. It was very exciting for me to watch the evolution of this plant. At first it did not look very appealing. It would have four to five buds that were fully closed. But day after day as we came closer to Easter each one would begin to open. As they opened the air was filled with a fragrance I can only describe as fresh air.

The scent from the Lily would mingle with the ham and fixings to be served for our main meal around noon. As our family and guests would assemble for this tradition, the conversation would inevitably turn to what was coming in the future. We were just like that Lily sitting on the table with buds that would open with time. Filled with promise for the future that you would have to wait to witness.

With each guest that would leave the conversation grew weaker. There were less ideas to share and it would become clear that yet another Easter was “behind” us. But what lay ahead of us was a whole new spring bringing new hope with new life. All of this at our disposal if we chose to partake of what is freely given.